Assistant Professor
Samuel Merritt University
Jessica Aldrich Strassman, DSW, LCSW, is a clinical social worker, researcher, and educator specializing in forced migration, intergenerational trauma, and immigrant populations. She earned her Doctor of Social Work (DSW) from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy & Practice in 2024. Her dissertation, conducted with Penn’s History Department, examines intergenerational trauma narratives within WWII forced migration populations through a socio-political historical lens. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies at the University of London.
Dr. Strassman is an Assistant Professor in the Master of Social Work (MSW) program at Samuel Merritt University, where she teaches clinical and policy courses. She previously taught at the University of Nevada, Reno. Her research, supported by the Jews of Color Initiative, includes the study Aging Jews of Color and Their Lived Experiences of Resilience in Times of Social Unrest (2022). She is also a guest editor for Human Behavior and the Social Environment, focusing on antisemitism in social work education.
A seasoned presenter, Dr. Aldrich Strassman has shared her research at SSWR conferences, addressing both Holocaust survivor re-traumatization and withheld historical knowledge’s impact on WWII forced migration populations. With over a decade in child welfare, she has held policy internships at the White House Domestic Policy Council and the Child Welfare League of America. In addition to her academic and research work, she maintains a private clinical practice in San Rafael, California, specializing in adolescent and young adult mental health.
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